4 Reasons You Need to Take a Tour of the GMRENCEN

The GMRENCEN is 5.5 million square feet and 73 stories tall so there is a lot of ground to cover. Luckily, we have tour guides who will show you where all of the important places are located including restrooms and exits. Our tour guides are knowledgeable and friendly and love showing people around this great building.

Tour guide Frank Gasiorek.

Frank Gasiorek has been giving tours since 2007 and has witnessed the transformation of this remarkable structure for nearly a decade. Frank meets people from around the globe who visit Detroit just to see what this building has to offer.

If you have ever been lost in the GMRENCEN, and even if you haven’t, here are a few reasons why you should take the tour:

Learn about GMRENCEN history.

Frank’s favorite thing to share with people is General Motors’ history and how the development of the GMRENCEN has transformed the riverfront into what it is today.

“My favorite thing to tell people about the building is General Motors’ history,” Frank says. “People sometimes don’t know enough about their history and how they’ve influenced, not only life here, but other areas and how the impact has changed the waterfront, and the city.”

Get tips on how to get around.

As a tour guide, Frank’s most important job is helping people get around and he has great tips for people who are new to the building.

“It’s easier to figure out if you think about rings around a center circle because when you look at the building from top down, it’s really a rosette.”

Frank takes pride in simplifying the navigation around this building and makes getting around as easy as possible for guests. When he hands out the GMRENCEN building guide he explains the building’s layout and what each of the different tower colors represent.

Take a ride up to level 72.

Another feature of the tour is a glass elevator ride up to the 72nd floor where people can take a look at our international neighbors across the water.

“Many people who come from out of town don’t realize how close Canada is to Detroit and it is always fascinating to see how people react to being that close to another country.”

Impress your friends with your GMRENCEN knowledge.

Not only can Frank show you how to get around the building, he can share plenty of information about this building with you. Impress your friends with the GMRENCEN facts you’ll learn while taking the tour.

One of Frank’s favorite things to share with people is right at the front of the building in the General Motors Pavilion because he likes the way people interpret the open ceiling which has an oblong shape.

“When people walk into the atrium and look up, everyone has different interpretations of what the top looks like,” Frank says. “Some people say the bottom of a boat, others say it looks like a surfboard, and people who like sports say it looks like a football. I like to hear all of the different ideas about that particular part of the building.”

Take the tour!

You can take a tour with Frank, or any of our wonderful tour guides, Monday through Friday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sign up at the Pure Detroit store on level 1 in tower 400.

Have you taken a tour of the GMRENCEN? What did you think? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section!

Learn something new about this fascinating building and find out how we stay in the center of it all: